WATCH: Alleged Drunken Driver Hits North Jersey Cop, Patrol Car

A Sparta Township police officer was forced to dive onto the pavement in the middle of the roadway when an allegedly drunken driver sped toward him, then hit a patrol car.

Dashboard camera footage of the incident, which can be seen below, occurred on Saturday, Jan. 31 was released to Patch Thursday through an Open Public Records Act Request.

The incident involved Sgt. Jeffrey Mase, who was on patrol and alerted by other motorists to an erratic driver, police said last week.

Mase then stopped his patrol car in the right lane of a jug handle on Route 15 north just after 10 p.m., and a 2006 Toyota Sequoia, driven by Jeffrey Ramirez, stopped behind him.

When Mase approached Ramirez’s vehicle and requested he remained stopped, police said the driver stepped on the gas and drove toward Mase, then struck his patrol car and fled.

The video’s camera footage shows the officer shouting at Ramirez to stop, then the patrol car is sideswiped violently before the Sequoia comes into view and is seen speeding away.

Mase can be heard calling into the dispatch center saying, “A vehicle just struck me,” and then saying he was OK before ending the call.

As a result of the incident Mase injured his back and neck, police said.

Ramirez then disregarded a red traffic signal, nearly collided with another vehicle at the intersection, and fled south on Lafayette Road, Lt. Dennis Proctor said.

Despite Mase’s condition, he was able to determine Ramirez fled onto Skyview Drive, less than a mile from the scene, Proctor said. He then found the vehicle had hit a mailbox and drove onto the lawn of a home on that road, Proctor said.

Backup units arrived at the home with Mase, who was approached by Freddy Ramirez, 53, the homeowner and Jeffrey Ramirez’s son. The older Ramirez became uncooperative, and police then applied for a search warrant after being denied access into the home, Proctor said.

When the homeowner tried to regain entry to his home against police orders, he was placed under arrest but resisted violently, Proctor said. As a result he claimed he injured his leg and head, Proctor said.

A search warrant was obtained and police then entered the home, where they found Jeffrey Ramirez hiding in a closet, Proctor said. The man was highly intoxicated and fought with police when they attempted to take him into custody, Proctor said.

Both Jeffrey and Freddy Ramirez were taken to Newton Medical Center. The elder was treated for injuries and the younger had a blood sample drawn per court order.

Mase suffered neck, back, and shoulder injuries from the incident and is currently out of work, Proctor said.

Jeffrey Ramirez was charged with eluding a law enforcement officer, aggravated assault by auto against a law enforcement officer, resisting arrest, driving while intoxicated, leaving the scene of an accident with injury, failure to report an accident, reckless driving, disregard of a traffic signal, failure to maintain lane, and disregarding an officer’s signal. He is lodged on $78,500 bail with no 10-percent option.

Freddy Ramirez was charged with obstruction of the administration of the law, hindering apprehension of another, and resisting arrest. He was processed and released on his own recognizance.

More charges are pending, Proctor said and the vehicle has been seized by the Sparta police.

Pictured: Footage from the Sparta Township Police dashboard camera in Sgt. Jeff Mase’s patrol car; Jeffrey Ramirez. Courtesy Sparta Township Police Department.

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